"In the 1990s and early 2000s, analytics was entirely server-side. Every user request, whether for a web page or an image, generated a server call logged in an access file. We'd download those logs (sometimes pre-scrubbed) and parse them with the analytics tools of the day to generate reports. We relied on IP addresses to identify unique users, which led to plenty of inaccuracies."
"Then came cookies - a significant leap forward for analytics accuracy. Every data analyst knew they weren't perfect, but they were the best we had. Of course, with their expanded use came fearmongering and growing user suspicion. Fast-forward to today: iPhones automatically block cookies and tracking tags, and widespread confusion around consent laws has led to opt-outs becoming the default - prompting marketers to rethink how they track and measure data."
Digital analytics is shifting back toward server-side tracking to improve data accuracy, privacy, and site performance. Early analytics relied on server logs and IPs for user identification, producing imperfect results. The introduction of cookies increased accuracy but also provoked privacy concerns. Rising browser restrictions and consent complexity have caused cookies and client-side tags to lose effectiveness. As a result, marketers are reevaluating tracking architectures to reduce measurement gaps, comply with privacy expectations, and maintain fast page experiences. Server-side methods centralize data collection on controlled infrastructure, mitigating client-side blocking and improving control over what user data is captured and shared.
Read at MarTech
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